Chinese Automaker Developing Own Hybrids
04 July 2005
Maple, the Shanghai-based unit of China’s Geely Automobile, is working with Tongji University in Shanghai to develop hybrid cars.
The partnership has set out an aggressive development plan that, if realized, would see the hybrids in commercial production in 2008, in time for the Olympics.
We plan to produce 5,000 to 10,000 hybrid-powered cars under the Maple brand a year initially. In the long term, we expect hybrid-powered cars will account for half of our total annual sales.
—Xu Gang, chairman of Maple
Maple intends to show a demonstration hybrid, based on its 1.5-liter Marindo, at the Shanghai Industry Exhibition to be held in November of this year.
Other Milestones include:
A fully functioning prototype by June 2006, to be shown at the Beijing International Auto Exhibition
Limited, trial production vehicles on display at the 2007 Shanghai International Auto Exhibition
Full commercial productions, and cars in showrooms in Beijing by the Olympics in 2008.
Maple says that intends to use Chinese engines and hybrid components in cars.
We will use self-developed engines and source transmission and other components in China to produce hybrid-powered cars. So we will be competitive in price.
—Xu Gang (China Daily)
China will be a strong market for hybrid—and full electric—cars.
Toyota will begin producing the Prius with China’s First Automotive Works Corp this year in Changchun. GM and Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp (SAIC) also announced last year that they are jointly developing hybrid and fuel cell vehicles in China.
It seems the small chinese companies are the gutsiest ones. I wish the engineering team at geely good luck on their endevour. They should not just talk about hybrids, but also try improving their high polluting regular engines. Lets see how this turns out. From my point of view I don't think hybrids are on the minds of most chinese right now, but with the right marketing that can change.
Posted by: Tman | 05 July 2005 at 12:12 PM
Cudos to Green Car Congress for correctly reporting the information despite a chop-job press release with faulty English translation. Hybrid translated into biofuel blend??
Posted by: ch | 06 July 2005 at 08:48 PM
SIR,
I AM IN LIBYA AND IN THE STREET OF MISURATA CITY I FOUND SOME CHINESE CARS ARE BEING DISPLAYED IN THE SHOWROOM.
COULD YOU PLEASE LET ME KNOW ABOUT THE SPECIFICATIONS OF THESE MAPLE CARS ?
REGARDS
-PINKU GHOSH-
Posted by: pinku ghosh | 24 August 2006 at 01:04 AM